Mike F Shaw has been at 4 events

This is the Event for our October Self Portrait Challenge: Your Greatest Fear. We figured we'd go beyond just a general "Halloween" theme, but still keep the "fright factor" alive. So show us something that absolutely terrifies you!
Here is where you enter your ONE Self Portrait with a "Greatest Fear" theme. Your photo must have been captured during this month. This Event remains open until 11:59 CST October 31st, so you have until then to create and enter your best photo from this month. (The dates on the Event are truncated, but you can submit a photo anytime, all month long.) Please read all rules (scroll down). Not adhering to rules will get you disqualified.
*Inspiration*
Moderators of the Art of Self Portraiture Community are not eligible to win, but we'll be putting our photos into the Event in the hopes that you'll be inspired. If you have questions or need help, please pop into the Community http://goo.gl/M7XTQ and ask away! We have categories for questions and discussion and are happy to help with anything.
*Prizes*
@100266938567862344330 Blue City Walker 20 http://goo.gl/LbDMIy
$150 Gift Certificate for @108289626026839048870 http://www.borrowlenses.com
@100424993750772730018 1 Year Awesome Account
@101789561086090624750 Discontinued Strap http://www.capturingcouture.com/collections/the-sale-rack
1 Year of @118357019708110162087 Basic http://www.smugmug.com/photos/photo-sharing-features
Please circle these sponsors - we love their products and services and it's great that they support our learning and growing together. Having them circled is a requirement to be a winner. :)
There will be 5 winners. 1st place winner selects choice of 5 prizes. 2nd place selects choice of 4 remaining prizes. 3rd place selects choice of remaining 3 prizes. 4th place selects choice of remaining 2 prizes. 5th place receives the remaining prize. Winners must respond within 24 hours of being contacted or new winners will be chosen.
At the end of the month, the Owners and Moderators of The Art of Self Portraiture Community will vote on the submissions and choose 1st, 2nd, & 3rd, 4th, & 5th place winners. Please note that this is subjective (art always is!) and so we'll be basing our votes purely on our own opinions. Everyone who enters a photo is already a winner, of course. :)
*Please Remember These Rules:*
*Enter Only Your Own Work
*Enter Only ONE Photo
*Only SELF PORTRAITS
*Must adhere to this month's theme.
*Photo Must Be Taken in October 2014 (EXIF data must reflect this)
*Can Only Win Once Every 6 Months
*Winners Must Respond Within 24 Hours of Contact
*Circle Our Prize Sponsors
*No Trickery or Spamming
*We Reserve The Right To Remove Entries/Participants for Misconduct
*Anything Outside Guidelines/Rules Disqualifies A Participant﻿

This is the Event for our January Self Portrait Challenge: New Beginnings! What is meant by this? It's up to you to interpret. I know that many of us think about what we want the next year to be like (even if you don't make resolutions) and this seems like a great way to express what's been on our minds in that sense. You can interpret this way, or any other way that makes sense to you. We're looking forward to what your creative minds will come up with!
Here is where you enter your ONE Self Portrait with a "New Beginnings" theme. Your photo must have been captured any time during this month. This Event remains open until 11:59 CST January 31st, so you have until then to create and enter your best photo from this month. You have about two weeks left to complete this task if you don't already have a qualifying photo that you took this month - you can do it! Please read all rules (scroll down). Not adhering to rules will get you disqualified.
*Inspiration*
Moderators of the Art of Self Portraiture Community are not eligible to win, but we'll be putting our photos into the Event in the hopes that you'll be inspired. If you have questions or need help, please pop into the Community http://goo.gl/M7XTQ and ask away! We have categories for questions and discussion and are happy to help with anything.
*Prizes*
$150 Gift Certificate for @108289626026839048870 http://www.borrowlenses.com
1 Year Awesome Account at @100424993750772730018 http://goo.gl/CCrBlS
@100266938567862344330 Mirrorless Mover 10 Bag http://goo.gl/Z4h0IN
Please circle these sponsors - they make these prizes possible, so having them circled is a requirement to be a winner.
There will be 3 winners. 1st place winner selects choice of 3 prizes. 2nd place selects choice of 2 remaining prizes. 3rd place receives the remaining prize. Winners must respond within 24 hours of being contacted or new winners will be chosen.
At the end of the month, the Owners and Moderators of The Art of Self Portraiture Community will vote on the submissions and choose 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners. Please note that this is subjective (art always is!) and so we'll be basing our votes purely on our own opinions. Everyone who enters a photo is already a winner, of course. :)
Please Remember These Rules:
*Enter Only Your Own Work
*Enter Only ONE Photo
*Only SELF PORTRAITS
*Must adhere to this month's theme.
*Photo Must Be Taken in January 2014
*Can Only Win Once Every 6 Months
*Winners Must Respond Within 24 Hours of Contact
*Circle Our Prize Sponsors
*No Trickery or Spamming
*We Reserve The Right To Remove Entries for Misconduct
*Anything Outside Guidelines/Rules Disqualifies A Participant﻿

This is the Event for our September 2013 Self Portrait Challenge: A Great Cell Phone Photo. Just because you use a cell phone doesn't mean your self portrait has to be of the "facebook style" mobile or reflection variety. That little guy has a camera inside it, so treat it like one!
Here is where you enter your ONE Self Portrait using only a cell phone to capture and process (no computer software post processing!). Your photo must have been captured this month. This Event remains open until 11:59 CST September 30th, so you have until then to create and enter your best photo from this month. Please read all rules (scroll down). Not adhering to rules will get you disqualified.
*Tutorial & Tips*
Need some tips and inspiration for this challenge? Have no fear! That's why we're here. :) The amazing @110573952887886961621 made a tutorial about shooting cell phone photos to get you inspired - see it here: http://goo.gl/z3IZ23 He also posted a video of his process - see it here: http://goo.gl/vzcRHL
*Remember these Do's and Don'ts to get the best photo:*
*DO take the time to set up your shot thoughtfully.
*DO invest time and effort and try more than once to get it right.
*DO make sure your lens is clean.
*DO take your photo in adequate light so it's not grainy, blurry, or dark.
*DO put the cell phone down and use a timer - stop taking all your photos by holding the phone and pointing at yourself or a mirror.
*DO try different angles for the best composition.
*DO read the posts in our Tutorials Category and try the concepts and ideas you learn from them: http://goo.gl/uSUULE
*DO try different apps and see what works best for you.
*DO be aware of your background! It makes a huge difference! Is there junk in the room behind you? If yes, it's not a good place to shoot. ETC.
*DO NOT just slap a filter or cheesy effect on and call it a day - take the time to try different edits and pay attention to the elements of your photo.
*DO NOT point your phone at a mirror and take a reflection photo where we can see your phone.
*DO NOT have your arms in the photo as you're holding the phone out in front of or above you.
*DO NOT duckface.
*DO NOT showcase your cleavage as the main subject.
*Here's a list of Photo Apps you can try out:*
Snapseed
VSCOcam
Retouch (cloning tool!)
Camera+
Camera!
PhotoStudio﻿
Pixlr Express
Aviary﻿
InsPhoto
*Prizes*
1 Year of @118357019708110162087 Basic http://www.smugmug.com/photos/photo-sharing-features
@101789561086090624750 Discontinued Camera Strap - you choose from a variety available. :) http://www.capturingcouture.com
Please circle these sponsors - they make these prizes possible, so having them circled is a requirement to be a winner.
There will be 2 winners. 1st place winner selects choice of prizes. 2nd place receives remaining prize. Winners must respond within 24 hours of being contacted or new winners will be chosen.
At the end of the month, the Owners and Moderators of The Art of Self Portraiture Community will v

A special all-Europe show! We switched around the time of the show for this special event! Joining today are @102518365620075109973, @110258598415939907971, @112661262066626464523, @105390077271236874234, +Serge Ramelli. Thank you to +Dave Veffer for setting everything up!
You can watch live here, or you can ask questions live over at http://www.StuckInCustoms.com -- see you soon!

Trey's Variety Hour #59- All European Show - Special Euro Time! (8 PM London Time, not that the UK uses the Euro or anything...)

Average numbers for the latest posts (max. 50 posts, posted within the last 4 weeks)

Most comments: 139

I get asked a lot what I do for the homeless people I meet and I normally say that's between me and them. Sometimes though when I put their portraits up I feel at times I have to justify why I take their portraits.

It's so they cannot be ignored, simple as that, I see people walking past without even looking down. Take Derek, homeless for five and half months with his eight month old pup Cindy. On the streets of York, it's not the best of weather. What do I do, I shake his hand and get down to talk to him and pet his dog, it makes him human again. As for how we help, we bought food for him and his dog and as he is not dependant on anything we gave him money. By we I mean Jude, my wife as well as she is with me a lot of the time and knows what is going to happen, hence the picture taken by her.﻿

I wonder what they see as they stare back at us, do they loathe us as they have the right to do so? Do they pity us for our ignorance? Or are they simply waiting for the time to come when nature removes the infestation of humankind so the planet can go on without us?﻿

The Silent Sentinel.

I wonder what they see as they stare back at us, do they loathe us as they have the right to do so? Do they pity us for our ignorance? Or are they simply waiting for the time to come when nature removes the infestation of humankind so the planet can go on without us?﻿___

Life is a series of journeys that will take us on many roads, some we will want to travel down, some we will not but take them we must. Each road though leads to somewhere and its only by taking these paths, streets, roads and intersections of life will we ever get to where we need to be.

Sometimes we can see where the road will take us, sometimes we cannot and that is the point we need to be brave, take a deep breath and follow the adventure.﻿

The Journey

Life is a series of journeys that will take us on many roads, some we will want to travel down, some we will not but take them we must. Each road though leads to somewhere and its only by taking these paths, streets, roads and intersections of life will we ever get to where we need to be.

Sometimes we can see where the road will take us, sometimes we cannot and that is the point we need to be brave, take a deep breath and follow the adventure.﻿___

I walked past him, I'm wary of Big Issue sellers as the ethos behind the magazine seems to be lost but he did something that surprised me. A family with two young children went past and as they did he offered the magazine and they declined. As they continued he shouted back to one of the kids and passed them a pound coin and said that's ten bob each.

It stopped me in my tracks so I turned back to talk to him. I asked why when he obviously had little he gave money away to children, this was his response:

"It brings a smile to their faces, I always remember when I was a kid and someone gave me ten bob I was over the moon so I would rather do that from time to time as it makes me feel good" It worked, I heard the kids as they walked off saying to their father why can't they all be like that?The significance of the money in the t... more »

£3,500.000!

I walked past him, I'm wary of Big Issue sellers as the ethos behind the magazine seems to be lost but he did something that surprised me. A family with two young children went past and as they did he offered the magazine and they declined. As they continued he shouted back to one of the kids and passed them a pound coin and said that's ten bob each.

It stopped me in my tracks so I turned back to talk to him. I asked why when he obviously had little he gave money away to children, this was his response:

"It brings a smile to their faces, I always remember when I was a kid and someone gave me ten bob I was over the moon so I would rather do that from time to time as it makes me feel good" It worked, I heard the kids as they walked off saying to their father why can't they all be like that?The significance of the money in the title? Mick has spent 22 years in prison, was released only two days prior to this portrait. He has worked out just what it cost for the government to keep him in prison for his "rehabilitation" back into society over those 22 years, £3.5 million! On the day of his release he was sent on his way with £47, no where to live and only the clothes that a local charity had given to the prison. The odds are he will back inside within the next few months and the cost will continue to spiral to keep him there.

The pose he took was his own, I simply asked for his photograph and his story and this is the pose he struck, the raised fist, the broken nose and scars he bears of someone that is used to fighting.﻿___

This bird really deserves it name, one of my favourite owls, not only impressive in its size but it seems to have an ability to show expression. Whenever I photograph them they always give me a scornful look, whether it's a full on stare or by simply opening one eye while trying to sleep.﻿

The Great Grey Owl

This bird really deserves it name, one of my favourite owls, not only impressive in its size but it seems to have an ability to show expression. Whenever I photograph them they always give me a scornful look, whether it's a full on stare or by simply opening one eye while trying to sleep.﻿___

A rowing crew coming into harbour at Whitby to beat the oncoming storm on the horizon.

It's been such a long time since I took a camera out never mind just for fun. We went to Whitby for a couple of days and I decided to take the Olympus rather than the Canon simply for weight and convenience. I have to admit in the past I have never given the Olympus a fair crack of the whip having been stuck in DSLR mode for a long while, also believing nothing could touch the 70-200mm F/2.8.

I have to admit that maybe I was wrong, not only is the camera and kit so much easier to lug about the quality of the images you can get really surprised me. This is with the OMD E-10 so I wonder how the 1 or even the new 5 would perform. I may need to look at investing in a wide angle lens and see how it performs for other landscapes?﻿

Before The Storm

A rowing crew coming into harbour at Whitby to beat the oncoming storm on the horizon.

It's been such a long time since I took a camera out never mind just for fun. We went to Whitby for a couple of days and I decided to take the Olympus rather than the Canon simply for weight and convenience. I have to admit in the past I have never given the Olympus a fair crack of the whip having been stuck in DSLR mode for a long while, also believing nothing could touch the 70-200mm F/2.8.

I have to admit that maybe I was wrong, not only is the camera and kit so much easier to lug about the quality of the images you can get really surprised me. This is with the OMD E-10 so I wonder how the 1 or even the new 5 would perform. I may need to look at investing in a wide angle lens and see how it performs for other landscapes?﻿___

Hide in bushes with high velocity rifles, take aim through a telescopic sight from a safe distance and shoot to kill. Your ego is satisfied, you're a better human being now as you can kill just for the fun of it.

One day you will have nothing left to kill so maybe we should return the favour to those that drive our wildlife to the brink of extinction. I would have no issues in killing you in the same manner.﻿

Of Small Minds And Egos!

Hide in bushes with high velocity rifles, take aim through a telescopic sight from a safe distance and shoot to kill. Your ego is satisfied, you're a better human being now as you can kill just for the fun of it.

One day you will have nothing left to kill so maybe we should return the favour to those that drive our wildlife to the brink of extinction. I would have no issues in killing you in the same manner.﻿___

More so when dealing with a large company that you thought would have their act together!

I was fortunate to be invited to Ireland a couple of years ago by this company but the German branch not here in the UK. It was for the launch of the Olympus OMD E-1 and it was so well organised and so we done I just could not fault it. I left feeling I had dealt with a well organised company that knew what its goals and targets were.

Then at the beginning of last year I was pointed in the direction of a competition they were running for protégés and decided after previous experiences with +Olympus this would be a good chance to have an input in the UK organisation. I was fortunate (with a lot of help from yourselves) to be selected as a protégé in the animal section.

More so when dealing with a large company that you thought would have their act together!

I was fortunate to be invited to Ireland a couple of years ago by this company but the German branch not here in the UK. It was for the launch of the Olympus OMD E-1 and it was so well organised and so we done I just could not fault it. I left feeling I had dealt with a well organised company that knew what its goals and targets were.

Then at the beginning of last year I was pointed in the direction of a competition they were running for protégés and decided after previous experiences with +Olympus this would be a good chance to have an input in the UK organisation. I was fortunate (with a lot of help from yourselves) to be selected as a protégé in the animal section.

Then it just went awry! At first it was a with a separate marketing company who I struggled to communicate with to find out where things would be progressing. Eventually Olympus took over the marketing and there was a hope things would improve, sadly they did not. We had a meet up in London with all the protégés and mentors along with Olympus where plans for the future were outlined. Since that meeting at the end of last year none of the plans have come to fruition. I know myself and my mentor had to wait for certain seasons etc to photograph the animals we wanted but that did not mean the other protégés could not have continued their progress.

What has happened to date?One cannot get in contact with their mentor to arrange anything, they get little or no response. Another has given up on his and has left the project altogether. Another has only just started working with his mentor some 6 months after the initial meeting.

As for myself I too have left the project altogether as well. I was supposed to have attended a workshop with Olympus Europe in Prague but was advised by the UK branch it was not intended for me. I wish I had gone to ensure the first time was not simply a fluke.

If this the level of organisation expected from Olympus UK then I'm sorry to say it's sadly lacking. I will simply stay with Canon until someone can convince me otherwise.

To make matters worse for some reason the Olympus OMDE-10 has decided to stop working!﻿___

Being wary starts very early for a Sumatran tiger cub, what starts out as play becomes the training for survival. Lets hope they always get the chance to survive, seems their biggest predator is now man.﻿

The Little Hunter

Being wary starts very early for a Sumatran tiger cub, what starts out as play becomes the training for survival. Lets hope they always get the chance to survive, seems their biggest predator is now man.﻿___

Since I started to photograph big cats a few years ago I have noticed that no matter what environment they are in they never let their guard down. Considering they were once at the top of the food chain it makes you wonder why they needed this level of alertness.

Could it be humankind came along?﻿

Always Aware

Since I started to photograph big cats a few years ago I have noticed that no matter what environment they are in they never let their guard down. Considering they were once at the top of the food chain it makes you wonder why they needed this level of alertness.

They say we share 97% of our DNA with orangutans , whenever I visit these creatures I become more and more certain they are as sentient as we are. From watching the young playing by rolling head over heel in the grass much the same way as my own children did. Of most animals apart from humans their children stay with their parents for the longest periods of time, normally six years or so.

Then you get moment like this, when a mother come up to the glass to observe the human animals looking back at her. She look at you straight in the eye, not looking away but holding your gaze and you just know there has been an acknowledgment, a connection between species.

She knows the human animal and she knows what it is capable, its a pity the human animal does not seem capable of her level of understanding.﻿

Acknowledgement.

They say we share 97% of our DNA with orangutans , whenever I visit these creatures I become more and more certain they are as sentient as we are. From watching the young playing by rolling head over heel in the grass much the same way as my own children did. Of most animals apart from humans their children stay with their parents for the longest periods of time, normally six years or so.

Then you get moment like this, when a mother come up to the glass to observe the human animals looking back at her. She look at you straight in the eye, not looking away but holding your gaze and you just know there has been an acknowledgment, a connection between species.

She knows the human animal and she knows what it is capable, its a pity the human animal does not seem capable of her level of understanding.﻿___

We are part of it, this thing called the balance of life, we are born and we die, its the bit in between that makes the difference to what you leave behind.

I often wonder just how many people realise just how narrow that pivot point between survival and death there is for the human species, how much we rely on a huge ecological system that allows this planet to play host to us.We eradicate the rain forests without seeming to realise we are hacking away at earth's lungs, what happens when she can no longer breathe?We kill other species for no other reason than the sadistic urge to kill to show how "superior" we are. Yet we don't seem to realise that the loss of something as simple as an insect called the bee could spell the end of us all.

If it does not fit into human kinds way then its of no consequence, one day... more »

Part Of The Balance.

We are part of it, this thing called the balance of life, we are born and we die, its the bit in between that makes the difference to what you leave behind.

I often wonder just how many people realise just how narrow that pivot point between survival and death there is for the human species, how much we rely on a huge ecological system that allows this planet to play host to us.We eradicate the rain forests without seeming to realise we are hacking away at earth's lungs, what happens when she can no longer breathe?We kill other species for no other reason than the sadistic urge to kill to show how "superior" we are. Yet we don't seem to realise that the loss of something as simple as an insect called the bee could spell the end of us all.

If it does not fit into human kinds way then its of no consequence, one day though we will no longer fit in natures way but by then it will be too late.

Enjoy the image of a young cheetah, it may well be the only way you get to see one in the not so distant future.﻿___

I find it constantly strange that you describe yourself as the land of the free but continue to erode people's right to that freedom. Its not just this, looking at removing the right of a person to look the way they wish just because it does not fit within the pigeon hole you create for society.

The control of your civilians seem to me, as an outsider, as an almost a lock down of most basic freedoms, your police act more like a militaria in a dictatorial country rather than the land of the free. Unarmed people are shot, repeatedly, running from the police yet you have other means of stopping and restraining offenders but the gun and death seems to be the easy way.

Your country went through many struggles, independence from mine, a civil war to end slavery and many more, all to give the freedom you so crave but then you take away in the left hand... more »

Dear USA.

I find it constantly strange that you describe yourself as the land of the free but continue to erode people's right to that freedom. Its not just this, looking at removing the right of a person to look the way they wish just because it does not fit within the pigeon hole you create for society.

The control of your civilians seem to me, as an outsider, as an almost a lock down of most basic freedoms, your police act more like a militaria in a dictatorial country rather than the land of the free. Unarmed people are shot, repeatedly, running from the police yet you have other means of stopping and restraining offenders but the gun and death seems to be the easy way.

Your country went through many struggles, independence from mine, a civil war to end slavery and many more, all to give the freedom you so crave but then you take away in the left hand what you give in the right.

My country is far from perfect, I know though if I should ever decide to split my tongue, tattoo my eye balls (none of which I intend) then I am considered adult enough to make those choices without having a legislation in place to stop me.

I know should I have issues with the police the chances of me being shot and killed are low, I'm more likely to be tasered, CS sprayed and even by the odd few bad police we have, beaten up. I would though at the end of it be alive even if it was a little worse for wear.

Maybe you, like we, need to stop pandering to the politicians and the corrupt companies that yank their strings like the puppets they are. You and I have a right to be who we are, regardless of where we come from.

If you are going to call yourself the land of the free, then you need to take your freedom back.

We need to teach our children compassion, to love their fellow humans regardless of who they are or for whatever predicament they have gotten themselves into. They are the generation to change the mess we have made but we need to guide them, to show what we did wrong in the hope they too will not follow our lead.﻿

Let The Children Teach You

From todays march for the homeless in Manchester.

We need to teach our children compassion, to love their fellow humans regardless of who they are or for whatever predicament they have gotten themselves into. They are the generation to change the mess we have made but we need to guide them, to show what we did wrong in the hope they too will not follow our lead.﻿___

Look around you, what do you see? A home with serveral rooms, each room filled with things you have collected over the years, some of great value, some of sentimental value. All though are yours contained within the walls of a home.

Now imagine taking all those thing and trying to gather them together so you can carry them around, you no longer have the walls of a home. What do you give up? What do you leave behind and what do you take?

When you next step outside look at the people that are doing just that, no walls of a home and all they own they carry, sometimes in backpacks, sometimes in plastic bags, they all had homes once, they all had walls to keep their things in. They were just like you and me, someones son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, each with a heart, a mind and should they be cut they bleed red just like you or I.... more »

All That You Have

Look around you, what do you see? A home with serveral rooms, each room filled with things you have collected over the years, some of great value, some of sentimental value. All though are yours contained within the walls of a home.

Now imagine taking all those thing and trying to gather them together so you can carry them around, you no longer have the walls of a home. What do you give up? What do you leave behind and what do you take?

When you next step outside look at the people that are doing just that, no walls of a home and all they own they carry, sometimes in backpacks, sometimes in plastic bags, they all had homes once, they all had walls to keep their things in. They were just like you and me, someones son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, each with a heart, a mind and should they be cut they bleed red just like you or I.

Open your eyes.

For those that use Facebook as well as here I have created a page called The Forgotten, it a way of trying to bring to light the issues of homeless, not just in my country but in the world.

Please take a look if you so wish:https://www.facebook.com/thelostsoulsofsociety﻿___

There is something about these animals that makes you want to spend the day watching them, problem is they are not the most active of animals so when you get them moving and not sleeping it all the better.﻿

The Charm Of The Red Panda

There is something about these animals that makes you want to spend the day watching them, problem is they are not the most active of animals so when you get them moving and not sleeping it all the better.﻿___

I often wonder why so many people ignore the homeless, look away and pretend they saw nothing, no one was there so their conscience is clear.

Sometimes I get saddened and other times I get angry, they are alive just like you and me, they breathe as their heart pumps and should they cut they bleed red.

Since I have spent so long talking and being with street people I have also managed to watch the populace as they pass by. One thing that strikes me as to why they behave the way they do is common among as lot of them.

Its fear!The fear that if they look at the person it may be someone they once knew, the fear that its too close to home, the bills are piling up and we can't cope, how long before we are here? The fear of looking into their eyes and seeing a real person looking back.

I often wonder why so many people ignore the homeless, look away and pretend they saw nothing, no one was there so their conscience is clear.

Sometimes I get saddened and other times I get angry, they are alive just like you and me, they breathe as their heart pumps and should they cut they bleed red.

Since I have spent so long talking and being with street people I have also managed to watch the populace as they pass by. One thing that strikes me as to why they behave the way they do is common among as lot of them.

Its fear!The fear that if they look at the person it may be someone they once knew, the fear that its too close to home, the bills are piling up and we can't cope, how long before we are here? The fear of looking into their eyes and seeing a real person looking back.

We as a species put so much emphasis on ourselves to succeed that failure is now one of our biggest fears.

Look into the eyes of the homeless just once, you will see someone just like you and me, they breathe as their heart pumps and should they cut they bleed red.﻿___

This is Pam or as she is known on the streets Mama P, she gets the names as she helps to look after the others homeless in her area. She ended up on the streets after the breakup of her parents marriage.

She writes poetry and you can see her holding up one of her works, people not only feed her and give her money but those that know her give her books and pens so she can carry on with her writing.

She is a lovely lady, only 47 years old but you know from talking with her she has some problems, once again our care in the community lets someone else down.﻿

Mama P.

This is Pam or as she is known on the streets Mama P, she gets the names as she helps to look after the others homeless in her area. She ended up on the streets after the breakup of her parents marriage.

She writes poetry and you can see her holding up one of her works, people not only feed her and give her money but those that know her give her books and pens so she can carry on with her writing.

She is a lovely lady, only 47 years old but you know from talking with her she has some problems, once again our care in the community lets someone else down.﻿___

This is Jack and thats how angry I felt when I met him, he is 39 and about to to turn 40 in a few months but has spent 24 of those years on and off living on the streets. Thats the same time span as one of my childrens whole lifespan.

Failed by the system that was supposed to help and nurture him, abandoned as a child he was put into the care home system but instead of care and nurture he found he was sexually abused by those given the trust to look after him. On the streets since he was 15 has taken its toll, no teeth in his head, a crutch to walk with and agitation showing in the constantly moving legs as he sits there and a whole mess within his mind.

When people say to me they have a choice to live on the streets or not what choice does he have? Someone tell me how he gets to stop living on the streets and sleeping in a car park? There are only... more »

24 Fucking Years!

This is Jack and thats how angry I felt when I met him, he is 39 and about to to turn 40 in a few months but has spent 24 of those years on and off living on the streets. Thats the same time span as one of my childrens whole lifespan.

Failed by the system that was supposed to help and nurture him, abandoned as a child he was put into the care home system but instead of care and nurture he found he was sexually abused by those given the trust to look after him. On the streets since he was 15 has taken its toll, no teeth in his head, a crutch to walk with and agitation showing in the constantly moving legs as he sits there and a whole mess within his mind.

When people say to me they have a choice to live on the streets or not what choice does he have? Someone tell me how he gets to stop living on the streets and sleeping in a car park? There are only two hostels to get into and you have to get through the first to get to the other.﻿___

I get asked a lot what I do for the homeless people I meet and I normally say that's between me and them. Sometimes though when I put their portraits up I feel at times I have to justify why I take their portraits.

It's so they cannot be ignored, simple as that, I see people walking past without even looking down. Take Derek, homeless for five and half months with his eight month old pup Cindy. On the streets of York, it's not the best of weather. What do I do, I shake his hand and get down to talk to him and pet his dog, it makes him human again. As for how we help, we bought food for him and his dog and as he is not dependant on anything we gave him money. By we I mean Jude, my wife as well as she is with me a lot of the time and knows what is going to happen, hence the picture taken by her.﻿

I get asked a lot what I do for the homeless people I meet and I normally say that's between me and them. Sometimes though when I put their portraits up I feel at times I have to justify why I take their portraits.

It's so they cannot be ignored, simple as that, I see people walking past without even looking down. Take Derek, homeless for five and half months with his eight month old pup Cindy. On the streets of York, it's not the best of weather. What do I do, I shake his hand and get down to talk to him and pet his dog, it makes him human again. As for how we help, we bought food for him and his dog and as he is not dependant on anything we gave him money. By we I mean Jude, my wife as well as she is with me a lot of the time and knows what is going to happen, hence the picture taken by her.﻿___

Lilly one of our rescue cats, we believe she is a part Maine Coon but we do know she is completely insane. Don't let those eyes fool you, she would rather take your arm off than let you stroke her! ﻿

The Crazy One!

Lilly one of our rescue cats, we believe she is a part Maine Coon but we do know she is completely insane. Don't let those eyes fool you, she would rather take your arm off than let you stroke her! ﻿___

Of micro seconds will determine how long you live, the span of time between your sleep and wake, work and rest, inhale and exhale.

Whenever I watch animals I wonder what determines their time? They know it goes light and dark but what concern is that to them? Some sleep simply because they are tired and not because its the "time" to do so. Is it between meals they determine the time required to measure their timescales.

Truth be told we are the only creature on the planet to so meticulously measure time even to the point using an atomic clock.

Ask Iblis the Asiatic lion how old he is and he would not know, what's more I have no doubt if he could speak he would not care either.﻿

Thousands And Thousands And Thousands...

Of micro seconds will determine how long you live, the span of time between your sleep and wake, work and rest, inhale and exhale.

Whenever I watch animals I wonder what determines their time? They know it goes light and dark but what concern is that to them? Some sleep simply because they are tired and not because its the "time" to do so. Is it between meals they determine the time required to measure their timescales.

Truth be told we are the only creature on the planet to so meticulously measure time even to the point using an atomic clock.

Ask Iblis the Asiatic lion how old he is and he would not know, what's more I have no doubt if he could speak he would not care either.﻿___

I have a genuine need to care for the homeless, I know my house is warm, dry and I only have to open my fridge to eat.

I have issues though when it comes to Big Issue sellers, this was a system set up to help the genuine homeless get off the streets. Time and time again I see gangs that are working the system and it has become a legalised way of mass begging. I know they have gangmasters that control them, I watch as they go from seller to seller taking money and redistributing magazines.

Then I look at those being used to do this, there is a level of exploitation, normally young girls that will evoke more sympathy and thus more money. Maybe they are trapped within a system being run by others and suffer just as much hardship as they homeless but by giving to them I know whose pockets I am lining. I would rather go search out those who... more »

The Souls Of The Trapped.

I have a genuine need to care for the homeless, I know my house is warm, dry and I only have to open my fridge to eat.

I have issues though when it comes to Big Issue sellers, this was a system set up to help the genuine homeless get off the streets. Time and time again I see gangs that are working the system and it has become a legalised way of mass begging. I know they have gangmasters that control them, I watch as they go from seller to seller taking money and redistributing magazines.

Then I look at those being used to do this, there is a level of exploitation, normally young girls that will evoke more sympathy and thus more money. Maybe they are trapped within a system being run by others and suffer just as much hardship as they homeless but by giving to them I know whose pockets I am lining. I would rather go search out those who don't even have the means to sell the Big Issue.

I know this system is flawed and needs to be looked at, maybe the Big Issue needs to readdress its core principles.﻿___

Its been a long time since I did this but its just a thank you for all the support I have gotten from my online friends in recent times, its a full resolution image so is more than big enough for any PC screen :)﻿

Hello Spring Wallpaper

Its been a long time since I did this but its just a thank you for all the support I have gotten from my online friends in recent times, its a full resolution image so is more than big enough for any PC screen :)﻿___

A giant otter at Chester Zoo​ being very, very vocal, I think it was close to feeding time and he wanted to know just where his food was. You can see his front webbed feet, I never really looked that close but they are in fact massive.﻿

Is It Feeding Time Yet?

A giant otter at Chester Zoo​ being very, very vocal, I think it was close to feeding time and he wanted to know just where his food was. You can see his front webbed feet, I never really looked that close but they are in fact massive.﻿___

There is no instinct as strong as the protection of a mother has for her young, her eyes tell you that her sleeping cubs are under her protection, the stance tells you she is alert, your own instincts should tell you to keep your distance.

#caturday#bigcaturday﻿

Protection

There is no instinct as strong as the protection of a mother has for her young, her eyes tell you that her sleeping cubs are under her protection, the stance tells you she is alert, your own instincts should tell you to keep your distance.

Because someone has to show the rest of the world they are there, they are as human as you or me. Does it affect me? Yes, each meeting, each story I hear cuts deep and leaves a scar.

I don't sit back and shoot with a long lens, I sit with them and we speak, its the only way I really know how to connect and sometimes that few minutes of my time is enough to make them feel human again.

We don't ignore street people, we see them but they scare us, they themselves do not create the fear but the situation they are in. The though of suddenly losing all our home comforts terrifies us so we try and avoid looking at what could be but in doing so we avoid them.

I am asked what I do for these people, I hope I give them a voice, a place to be seen instead of being ig... more »

The Reasons?

Something I get asked a lot, why do I photograph the street people?

Because someone has to show the rest of the world they are there, they are as human as you or me. Does it affect me? Yes, each meeting, each story I hear cuts deep and leaves a scar.

I don't sit back and shoot with a long lens, I sit with them and we speak, its the only way I really know how to connect and sometimes that few minutes of my time is enough to make them feel human again.

We don't ignore street people, we see them but they scare us, they themselves do not create the fear but the situation they are in. The though of suddenly losing all our home comforts terrifies us so we try and avoid looking at what could be but in doing so we avoid them.

I am asked what I do for these people, I hope I give them a voice, a place to be seen instead of being ignored. What I do on an individual basis is between me and them, these images and posts have never been about me.

At the end of the day I'm just a bloke with a camera but I want to use that camera for something more than pretty pictures.

This is Darell from the previous image, 29, not long out of prison (six weeks) but wishes he was back, at least he was warm and could eat.﻿___

Relax and close your eyes, put your hand on your chest over your heart. Breathe deeply and feel the rise and fall of your chest, feel the beat of your heart within you and soon you will hear the rush of blood as it passes through your veins. Each breath you take allows your heart to beat further and in doing so is keeping you alive.

Now stop breathing, tell your mind you no longer wish to breath and you want your heart to stop. You cannot, once your body feels it is under threat it goes into self survival mode and forces you to breathe once more.

Its not unique to you, at present 7.5 billion people have this self survival mode hard wired in from birth. we have so much in common with our fellow human beings, at the end of the day we are all the same species, we are all part of the human race.

Relax and close your eyes, put your hand on your chest over your heart. Breathe deeply and feel the rise and fall of your chest, feel the beat of your heart within you and soon you will hear the rush of blood as it passes through your veins. Each breath you take allows your heart to beat further and in doing so is keeping you alive.

Now stop breathing, tell your mind you no longer wish to breath and you want your heart to stop. You cannot, once your body feels it is under threat it goes into self survival mode and forces you to breathe once more.

Its not unique to you, at present 7.5 billion people have this self survival mode hard wired in from birth. we have so much in common with our fellow human beings, at the end of the day we are all the same species, we are all part of the human race.

For some reason though as a species we classify everything, ourselves more than anything else. Sex, colour of skin, beliefs, wealth, celebrity, homeless, the list is endless. because we do though we decide to go to war over those differences rather than celebrate them.

A leopard does not discriminate against another leopard because the pattern of his skin is different, it simply sees another leopard.

Try holding your breath and tell your heart to stop, you are no different to another human being.﻿___

Will we choose to ignore? I watched him wrapped up in his sleeping bag, back upon a lamppost in s busy Liverpool street, wrapped up tight to keep warm.

I sat on the opposite side of the road and photographed him, one by one they walked by, seeing but choosing not to. Invisible but as bright as a beacon, the fear of what could become. So they pass by, he begs for spare change, gruby hands holding on tight, every now and then he looks across at the man with the camera, he says nothing but his eyes say everything. Now and then looking up at those that have no time for him, asking but already knowing the answer but he will ask anyway.

His name is Darrel, he is only 29 but he has the skin of a sixty year old, this time around its been six weeks on the street, he has been in prison and is not ashamed to say so, he also says the reason is at least he has a ... more »

How Many More?

Will we choose to ignore? I watched him wrapped up in his sleeping bag, back upon a lamppost in s busy Liverpool street, wrapped up tight to keep warm.

I sat on the opposite side of the road and photographed him, one by one they walked by, seeing but choosing not to. Invisible but as bright as a beacon, the fear of what could become. So they pass by, he begs for spare change, gruby hands holding on tight, every now and then he looks across at the man with the camera, he says nothing but his eyes say everything. Now and then looking up at those that have no time for him, asking but already knowing the answer but he will ask anyway.

His name is Darrel, he is only 29 but he has the skin of a sixty year old, this time around its been six weeks on the street, he has been in prison and is not ashamed to say so, he also says the reason is at least he has a roof and a meal when inside. When his time is up, well he is put out.

Yet we say we are a civilised society.﻿___

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